Increased Serum Levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha, Resistin, and Visfatin in the Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Case-Control Study

• Published in: Neurology Research International 2016-01, Vol.2016 (2016), p.80-86
• Main Authors: Mousavinejad, Masoumeh, Riahi, Forough, Mousavinejad, Elham, Ghaffari, Mohammad Ali, Afsharmanesh, Mohammad Reza
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Development and progression; Diagnosis; Genetic aspects; Pervasive developmental disorders; Physiological aspects; Tumor necrosis factor
• ISSN: 2090-1852; 2090-1860
• DOI: 10.1155/2016/9060751

Background. Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are complex disorders where the pathogenesis is not fully understood. Several proinflammatory and immunoinflammatory disturbances have been observed in the etiology of ASD. There is, however, limited knowledge on variations of adipokines in ASD. The present study aimed to analyze the serum levels of resistin, visfatin, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in children with ASD in relation to body weight, gender, and ASD severity level. Method. In total, 30 children with ASD (mean age: 7.72±2.65 y; range; 4–12 y) and 30 healthy children (mean age: 8.4±2.66 y; range: 4–12 y), including males and females, were matched for age, gender, and body mass index (BMI). Serum samples were collected, and visfatin, resistin, and TNF-α serum levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Result. Serum visfatin, resistin, and TNF-α levels in children with ASD were significantly higher than that in the healthy patients (p